Surgical site infection (SSI) frequency is influenced by several risk factors, among which perioperative hair removal. Traditionally it is part of the procedures carried out on skin before surgery. Although preoperative shaving is widely used in many hospitals, its use should be re-evaluated. Therefore the AA. carried out a systematic literature review about the opportunity, the modality and the risks associated to preoperative hair removal. We found first of all that preoperative shaving (razor) is associated with a significantly higher surgical site infection (SSI) risk. Second, when hair removal is considered necessary by the surgeon, it should be carried out by means of a clipper or depilatory cream. Furthermore hair removal should be performed immediately before surgery and not in advance, to avoid an increased risk of SSI.